Turlock sex offender guilty of child pornography charge

A Turlock man with a history of child pornography arrests has been convicted on a federal charge stemming from his arrest in December 2013.

Jeffrey Randall Metcalfe, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography on Monday. According to court documents, between January 2012 and December 1, 2013, Metcalfe used a website to communicate with persons interested in exchanging images of child pornography.

Metcalfe was taken into custody in December by agents from Homeland Security.

In June 2012, the agency’s cyber crimes center and child exploitation investigation unit identified a website that had been used extensively to exchange images depicting child pornography. The agents were able to identify an account called “Asmodeusthe1st” and linked the internet protocol address to Metcalfe’s Turlock residence.

“Asmodeus” is the name of a demon of lust that twists people’s sexual desires.

Metcalfe’s account was traced to 17 usernames on the website.

Law enforcement served a search warrant at Metcalfe’s residence on Cedar Ridge Drive. At the home law enforcement found a computer used by Metcalfe that had images of “child erotica and child pornography” on the screen saver, according to the criminal complaint originally filed against Metcalfe.

Metcalfe was at the home at the time the warrant was served and was interviewed by the Homeland Security agents. He admitted he had at least 10,000 still photos and videos depicting child pornography in his home and that his “goal” was to obtain 100,000.

The picture includes images of small children of the toddler and preschool age, preteens, teens and some people who appeared to be adults, according to the criminal complaint. In the images children were pictured in sexually explicit and graphic poses and acts with other children and with adults.

In the criminal complaint filed against Metcalfe upon his arrest, he allegedly told Homeland Security agents he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old when he was 18 years old and a 9 or 10-year-old when he was 30 years old.

Metcalfe’s guilty plea to a single count of receiving and distributing child pornography could net him between 15 to 40 years in prison. The actual sentence is up to the court’s discretion. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 15.

A review of Stanislaus County Superior Court records show a misdemeanor charge of possession of child pornography was lodged against Metcalfe in 2003, but dismissed the following year.

In 1992, Metcalfe pled guilty to two counts of first-degree custodial interference by enticing two minor girls to go with him out of state without the permission of their parents. At the time Metcalfe was on probation in California and had been ordered to have no contact with one of the girls. He was sentenced to three years formal probation and ordered to undergo an evaluation as a sex offender.

The case against Metcalfe was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Turlock Police Department.